Onondaga County, New York

County Distress Index: Normal · 45.7 | 467,873 people · 38th most distressed in New York
American Default Research

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Onondaga County, NY falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 45.7 — 1921st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within New York, it ranks 38th of 62 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 4 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Onondaga County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 76.0 — worse than roughly 76% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 76.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 85
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 91
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 59
Homeownership Rate 83
Rent-to-Income Ratio 63
Employment & Wages 51.7
Unemployment Rate 41
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 41
Business Formation Rate 73
Income & Poverty 46.3
Poverty Rate 50
Income vs. State Median 31
Child Poverty Rate 57
Debt & Delinquency 37.3
Debt in Collections 36
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 45
Auto Loan Delinquency 42
Credit Card Delinquency 41
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 52
Community Vulnerability 17.3
Uninsured Rate 3
Disability Rate 31

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Onondaga County compares to its 4 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Onondaga County
Onondaga County, NY 45.7 Normal —
Oswego County, NY 55.0 Elevated +9.3
Cortland County, NY 53.2 Elevated +7.5
Cayuga County, NY 45.3 Normal -0.5
Madison County, NY 41.7 Normal -4.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Onondaga County
Fayette County, KY 45.6 Normal -0.1
Erie County, NY 45.6 Normal -0.1
Thurston County, WA 45.8 Normal +0.1
York County, SC 46.0 Normal +0.3
Lexington County, SC 46.0 Normal +0.3

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Onondaga County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Onondaga County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Onondaga County.

HOME HEADQUARTERS, INC.
Syracuse
315-474-1939 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFair HousingHome Improvement/Rehab
Syracuse Cooperative Federal Credit Union
Syracuse
315-476-5290 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingPre-Purchase

See all counselors in New York →

Find an Attorney

New York State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

New York State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-342-3661

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Onondaga County residents at no cost.

Legal Services NYC 1-917-661-4500
Legal Aid Society 1-212-577-3300
Empire Justice Center 1-585-454-4060
Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York 1-800-462-2922
Legal Aid Society of Mid-New York, Inc. (877) 777-6152
Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. (585) 325-2520
Legal Services of the Hudson Valley (877) 574-8529
Nassau/Suffolk Law Services Committee, Inc. (631) 232-2400
Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc. (716) 847-0650

Self-Help Resources

NYCourts.gov Foreclosure Help Official court system page with information about the foreclosure process, settlement conferences, and available resources. Includes court forms and instructions for pro se litigants.
LawHelp NY — Foreclosure Resources Comprehensive self-help legal information portal for New York residents. Includes foreclosure guides, court form generators, and legal services finder organized by county.

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in New York →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Onondaga County, New York?

    Onondaga County has a County Distress Index score of 45.7 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,921st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 38th in New York out of 62 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Onondaga County?

    The primary driver of distress in Onondaga County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 76.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Onondaga County compare to neighboring counties?

    Onondaga County (45.7) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Oswego County, NY (55.0); Cortland County, NY (53.2); Cayuga County, NY (45.3).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Onondaga County?

    Onondaga County, New York has a population of approximately 467,873 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.